


Caught up in a rush (it's killing you)

by pledishowell



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drinking, First Dates, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Redemption, juns a sweetie pie, subtle gyuhao if you squint, wonwoo fixed his fuck ups, wonwoo fucked up lmfao, wonwoos a fuckboy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-01-16 00:37:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 15,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12331992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pledishowell/pseuds/pledishowell
Summary: (“If you can make that Wen kid fall for you in less than a week, I’ll give you 20 bucks. Deal?”“You’re on.")Jun’s just a young and naïve teenager looking for love. Wonwoo was looking for 20 bucks. But that’s it, right?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> So here's the thing, this is all I've written so far. I've never really been good at chaptered fics, but do let me know if i should continue this, or if i should delete the entire thing.

Wonwoo had a reputation around the school. He was what you could call a “fuckboy”, a label that he wore proudly. He could turn anyone’s legs to jelly with a simple smirk, make anyone lightheaded with a few words, make anyone breathless with a small kiss. Half the school had been with him, and the other half hoped to be in the future. It was almost like a challenge for him, seeing how long it would take for someone to fall for him (his record was two days.) Breaking hearts wasn’t unusual, it wasn’t his fault they wanted more. ‘ _They should’ve known what they were getting into.’_ Wonwoo thought.

“Dude, I don’t know what to do now. I’ve practically gotten with everyone at this school, I haven’t been laid in like, a week.” Wonwoo complained to his friend, Mingyu.

“There’s still some people you haven’t gotten with yet dude,” Mingyu thought for a minute, “what about that Wen Junhui kid?”

Wonwoo scoffed.

“Please, the kid can barely talk to the damn teachers, how’s he gonna talk to me?”

“Alright, calm down, bit conceited there don’t you think?” Mingyu chuckled. “Tell you what,” he continued, “I know you need money and a fuck. So, if you can make that Wen kid fall for you in less than a week, I’ll give you twenty bucks. Deal?” Mingyu said as he held out his hand.

Wonwoo contemplated it for a bit. It would be hilarious to flirt with Junhui, he can picture it now, the stuttering, the blushing, the tripping over his own feet. And Mingyu was right, he did need some money (and a fuck) so what was the damage? It couldn’t hurt.

“You’re on.” Wonwoo accepted, shaking the youngers hand.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's just math tutoring. What could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!  
> I've decided to continue this, so i hope you guys enjoy it!!  
> However, i go back to school in about 5 days, and exams are coming up in about a month, which means i won't have a lot of free time on my hands to update regularly, so i'm very sorry about that :( x Nevertheless, i hope you enjoy anyway!

The plan was simple. Wonwoo would ask Junhui to tutor him in Maths, when they would get to studying, Wonwoo would flirt with Junhui, maybe take him on a date or two, and boom. Junhui would be putty in his hand, and he would be 20 bucks richer. What could go wrong?

 

The first step was to find the boy. It wouldn’t be hard considering the purple hair he was currently sporting. ‘ _For someone so shy, you’d think he’d go with a more natural colour’_ Wonwoo thought. The next step was to figure out how to get him alone. Again, it wouldn’t be hard, the boy usually sat in the back of the library, his head in a book, closed off from the world around him. Sometimes he had other people with him, usually Hansol or Soonyoung, but generally he was alone. Perfect.

 

He headed to the library, his head held high, his signature smirk placed on his lips. Despite never having walked into the school library before, it seemed to welcome his presence. He looked around a moment before spotting the tufts of purple hair in the far corner, face covered by a book. He sauntered over, sitting next to Junhui before tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

“Oh u-um hello!” Junhui stuttered, eyes wide, cheeks already turning a pretty pink colour.

“Hello, Junhui, is it?” Wonwoo questioned, smirk still plastered on his face.

“Um, y-yes that’s m-me.” Junhui responded.

“Perfect. Just the cutie I was looking for.” He could hear Junhui gasp slightly, and saw his cheeks turn an even darker shade of red. He was right. This would be fun. “So, I heard you’re quite talented at Maths, is that true?”

“I g-guess? I mean, I think I d-do well when I try r-really hard.” He answered, eyes not meeting Wonwoo’s.

“Great. Would you be willing to tutor me? I’m just flunking so bad, it would really help me out a lot.”

“Tutoring? U-um, I would be happy to, just, there are so many others who are way b-better at Maths than me. Why d-don’t you ask them instead?”

“Well, I could ask someone else, but you see, no one else is as cute as you are. I think I’d be more willing to learn if the person teaching me was attractive don’t you think?” Wonwoo asked, a small grin playing on his lips.

Junhui’s eyes went wide at the words.

“You think I’m cute?” Junhui whispered, eyes still downcast.

“Well, who wouldn’t? Such a pretty face. Anyway, I’ll give you my number, and we can organise a time for tutoring. See you round, cutie.” Wonwoo said, scribbling down his number on a sticky note, and walking away with a wink.

**New text to: Mingyu  
** _‘Get ready to be 20 bucks poorer, loser. Kid’s practically mine already. Tell you more at lunch.’_

~~~

 

“Okay, spill it. What do you mean ‘kid’s practically mine already’? It’s not like he just dropped down and declared his love for you.” Mingyu ranted.

“Yeah, but he got all nervous and blushy when all I did is call him cute. He couldn’t even look me in the eyes! I’m telling you, this’ll be the easiest 20 dollars I’ve ever earned.” Wonwoo bragged.

“Okay listen. I’ve kinda been thinking, maybe this isn’t such a good idea. I know I’m the one who came up with it, but I realized something. Junhui’s a sweet kid. Quiet, yes, but sweet. He’s someone who’ll drop everything to help you out. I don’t want to see him get hurt.” Mingyu admitted.

“You don’t want to see him get hurt? Or you don’t want to lose 20 bucks?”

“Wonwoo, I’m serious. We’ll switch it up, go for that kid who plays dungeons and dragons in the basement or something. Junhui’s one of the only people at this school who isn’t a complete asshole, and I don’t want him heartbroken if he does actually end up falling for you.”

“You mean _when_ he ends up falling for me. Mingyu trust me, it’ll all work out. It’s not like I can cancel on this anyway, I’ve already given him my number so he can tutor me. I don’t even need a tutor! He’ll be fine.”

Mingyu sighed.

“Fine. But when it doesn’t all work out, and when he isn’t fine, don’t come crying to me. I tried to warn you.”

“Mingyu, I don’t know why you’re being like this! You’re the one who started it, I never back down from a bet. You’ll see, it’ll all be okay. Worry less.”

Mingyu sighed again.

“Okay. Listen, I gotta run, just please, think about it okay? You’re my best friend, I don’t want you or him to get hurt.” Mingyu lectured.

“Yeah, yeah, see you around, I’ll text you tonight.”

~~~

**New text to: Cutie  
** _‘Hey cutie, it’s wonwoo. Just wondering when you’re free for tutoring? The sooner the better ;)”_

**New text from: Cutie  
** _‘Oh, hi Wonwoo! Um, I’m free whenever, just let me know when you would prefer to start I guess.”_

“Jeez, the kids even awkward through texting.” Wonwoo said to himself.

**New text to: Cutie  
** _‘Well would you be free tonight? I’ll give you my address, and you can come down. Unless you want me to pick you up instead?’_

**New text from: Cutie  
** _‘Tonight should be fine. No of course you don’t have to pick me up! I can walk, it’s alright.”_

**New text to: Cutie  
** _‘Okay cool. I just sent you my address, see you soon, cutie x’_

**New text from: Cutie  
** _‘See you soon!’_

~~~

About an hour later, Wonwoo heard a knock at the door. He opened it to be met with the sight of Junhui shivering.

“H-hey Wonwoo.” Junhui stammered, however Wonwoo didn’t think it was because of nervousness this time.

“Junhui? You’re freezing! Quickly, come inside and I’ll make you some tea.” Wonwoo said, bringing the boy into the living room. “I’ll put on the heater for you too.”

Junhui sat on the couch and played with his thumbs, which Wonwoo now knew was something he did when he was nervous.

“Here, you can take my jumper as well, it’s really warm.” Wonwoo said, making a point to take the jumper off slowly as possible, just to make sure the boy was looking at him. Sure enough, when the jumper was finally pulled off his head, he turned to see Junhui staring. He smirked.

“Like what you see?” Wonwoo winked as he passed the jumper to the boy.

 Junhui just kept his eyes downcast, muttering a tiny ‘thank you’ as he pulled the jumper on. It was far too big for him, which meant Junhui now had sweaterpaws, which Wonwoo thought was adorable.

“Wow I was right. It does look better on you. C’mon, let’s get to learning.”

~~~

Junhui stayed for about an hour, going over concepts Wonwoo already knew, and quite frankly didn’t care about. They scheduled to meet up twice a week, once at school during lunch periods, and once at Wonwoo’s house.

“Um, here’s your jumper back.” Junhui murmured as he passed it back to Wonwoo.

“Keep it to go home with, it’s way too cold for you to be walking out there without something warm. Wouldn’t want you to get a cold, then how would we study?”

“When would you like it back?” He asked.

“Whenever, like I said, it looks better on you anyway.”

Junhui smiled softly, which again, Wonwoo thought was adorable.

“Thank you. I’ll be leaving now. I-I’ll see you at school.” Junhui said before he was off.

**New text to: Mingyu  
** _‘I am so winning this bet.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Like usual, feedback/constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!   
> If you wanna scream with me about wonhui,  
> My tumblr is- junhuipledis  
> My twitter is- junhuipeach
> 
> Have a good day! x


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'It'll be fine. He'll be fine.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> Sorry for not updating for a while, I went back to school today, and it's already been kind of a nightmare lmao
> 
> To be quite honest, i think i'm gonna take this down and rewrite it all. I'm just not liking where i'm going, and i'm not a fan of my writing in general. That might just be my anxiety talking, but let me know if you're enjoying this so far x

 

“So, you’re really going through with this?”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Mingyu, I’m really going through with this. I thought we discussed this last time.” Wonwoo said, frustration clear in his voice.

“I thought you would’ve at least thought about it though,” Mingyu said before continuing on “like I said, I don’t want to see you or him get hurt.”

Wonwoo smiled softly at that. Sure, Mingyu could be annoying sometimes, but it was clear that he did care.

“I appreciate that Mingyu. But trust me, it’s not like he doesn’t know what kind of reputation I have, I doubt he’ll even fall for me anyway. This is all just a bit of fun y’know?”

“Yes, but don’t let this “fun” break his heart.”

“I thought you were the one that suggested this in the first place. Why are you being so cautious now?” Wonwoo questioned.

Mingyu thought for a bit. He sighed before answering.

“Honestly, I just wanted to get you off your own damn high horse for a few minutes. I didn’t actually think you were gonna go through with it.”

“Well, you were wrong,” Wownoo smirked “you should know by now I never back down from a dare or a bet.”

“Yeah, clearly.” Mingyu scoffed “I just wish I had chosen someone to actually screw with. Like that douchebag that hangs out at the back of the school to smoke. I saw him tripping over some new kids, what monster does that?”

Wonwoo smiled again. Mingyu really did have a heart of gold, it was honestly a bit of a wonder why he hung out with Wonwoo. If he saw the new kids being tripped over, he probably would’ve laughed.

“Maybe after the Junhui thing we can screw with him. But one bet at a time, okay?”

“Or, we can drop this bet altogether?” Mingyu smiled.

“Yeah, nice try. Anyway, speaking of Junhui, I have to go to my tutoring at the library, so I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just please give it some more thought okay?”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes again before he was out the door.

~~~

Wonwoo was confused. He had walked into the library, expecting a blushing Junhui sitting in the far corner where they had agreed to study, but nobody was there. He thought about texting the boy, before he came running through the door, out of breath and panting.

“Wonwoo,” Junhui paused for a minute, catching his breath, “I’m so sorry, I had to hand something into the teacher, I hope I wasn’t too late.”

“Oh, it’s okay Jun, you weren’t late, don’t worry.” Wonwoo couldn’t help but smile at the boy. Mingyu was right, Junhui really was a nice kid, seeming to have sprinted here just to tutor him. Suddenly he felt sick to his stomach thinking of hurting him, but the thought was quickly vanished. ‘ _It’s just a bit of fun. He’ll be fine. It’ll be fine.’_

“Oh, thank goodness. Anyway, I can’t stay for long, I need to go home early to babysit my younger brother, I hope that’s okay?” Jun questioned.

“Yeah, that’s completely fine, don’t let me take up all your time, I’m not failing that badly.” Wonwoo snickered.

“Well that’s good, I remember you said you were flunking.” Jun giggled.

“Well I was, I must have a great tutor.” Wonwoo smirked, seeing Junhui’s cheeks turn a soft red.

“Oh, I don’t think I’m _that_ good.” Jun chuckled nervously, biting his lip.

“Don’t be so modest Junnie, you’re great.”

He watched Junhui smile softly before covering his face with his hands. _‘Adorable.’_ Thought Wonwoo.

“Let’s get to work.” Junhui mumbled, blush still prominent on his cheeks.

“Sounds like a plan.” Wonwoo smirked, sitting down and opening the textbook.

~~~

Wonwoo ended up learning way more about Junhui than he ever thought. Turns out, Junhui is actually pretty talkative when he’s talking about something that he loves, which Wonwoo thought was endearing. He learned that Jun’s best friend was Hansol, followed closely by a boy named Minghao. He learned that the purple dyed hair was actually a mistake, but he chose to keep it. He learned that he carried snacks around with him everywhere, just in case he got hungry. He learned that he likes to sing and dance, but he’s usually too shy to do so in front of other people. He was quite fascinated by the boy, realizing that he’s way more than just some shy nerd who sits in the back of the library who reads for fun. It was fun getting to know him.

“Well, I better run, are you understanding all the material?” Jun asked.

“Yeah, I think I’ve got it all down. I meant what I said y’know, you’re a great teacher.”

“Oh stop.” Jun replied, blushing for the umpteenth time today.

“No, I’m serious, you’re way better than these teachers here, it’s amazing how they still work here.”

Junhui giggled as he threw on his bag.

“Well, I can’t take all the credit, you’re a great listener, you catch on pretty fast, even on the harder stuff like algebra and calculous.”

Wonwoo knew it was because he didn’t really need the help. He felt a pang of guilt, but it quickly subsided. _‘It’ll be fine. He’ll be fine.’_

“Thanks, Junnie. I’ll see you next week?”

Junhui nodded eagerly.

“Yep! We’re probably going to go over some more algebra, then maybe some number theory. Is that okay with you?”

“That sounds perfect Jun. I’ll see you next week!”

“Bye!” Jun said, before rushing out the door.

**New text to: Mingyu**

_‘I thought more about it. See you tonight?’_

**New text from: Mingyu**

_‘Sure. See you tonight, be safe.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Like i said, i may take it down and rewrite it, i'm just not loving where it's at right now, but please let me know if you're enjoying it xx


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He’s never finding out. It was a dumb idea on my part, and I swear to god if he ever finds out I’ll never forgive myself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!  
> I am so sorry for the lack of updates! I am currently drowning in assignments and homework (i literally have an assignment in every class i'm in, i'm Stressed to the max lmao)  
> I would just like to say a quick thank you for the support this fic has gotten (shout out to Megythebegyhippo for literally making me cry, you're so sweet) and i will try to update more frequently xx

“So? What are you doing?” Mingyu asked.

“Like I said, I thought more about it. I don’t think I’m gonna go through with it.”

Mingyu looked like he could burst from happiness.

“Oh, thank the lord.” Mingyu sighed.

“But, we can both agree that Junhui never finds out this bet was even a thing. If he asks, I really did need tutoring, and I was failing miserably.”

“I agree one hundred percent. What made you change your mind anyway? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad, but why the sudden change of heart?” Mingyu questioned, head cocked to one side.

“Honestly? It was when he came running through the door of the library. He had to hand in something to a teacher, so he was running a tiny bit late, but he seemed to have sprinted to the library, just to make sure I’d get tutored properly. I guess I felt shitty that he did all that when I don’t even need it. Does that make sense?”

Mingyu nodded.

“I told you, he’s one of the sweetest kids at this school. People just don’t realize it because he’s so quiet. Are you gonna stop doing tutoring then?”

Wonwoo thought for a minute.

“No. I don’t think I will. I know I don’t need it, but Junhui seems like an interesting person, I wouldn’t mind getting to know him better.” Wonwoo answered, a soft smile playing on his lips. Mingyu smirked.

“What?” Wonwoo asked, eyebrows creased, a scowl on his face.

“Nothing.” Mingyu replied, smirk growing.

Wonwoo rolled his eyes.

“Whatever. I have to go see Junhui, so I’ll see you later.”

Mingyu chuckled.

“Later.”

~~~

Wonwoo walked into the library, spotting the boy with purple hair immediately, accompanied by someone with black hair. They were laughing together, books and pens on the table, completely neglected, something Wonwoo assumed was rare considering the grades Junhui seems to get.

“Oh Wonwoo!” Jun called, motioning him to walk over. “This is Minghao! Minghao, this is Wonwoo, he’s the one I’m tutoring in maths!”

Minghao stood up and shook Wonwoo’s hand.

“It’s nice to finally meet you dude. Jun won’t shut up about you.”

“Huh. Is that so?” Wonwoo questioned, signature smirk placed on his lips, looking over at a now wide eyed and blushing Junhui.

“Yeah. It’s been kind of a pain, but it’s nice to put a face to a name. I gotta run, but have fun with the tutoring. Bye!” Minghao said before he was out the door.

Wonwoo looked over to a still blushing Junhui.

“So, you apparently never shut up about me huh? I hope it was all good things.”

Jun hid his face in the palms of his hands.

“Stop it.” He groaned, blush growing.

“I don’t think I will.” Wonwoo teased.

“Well you better.”

“Or what, cutie?”

Jun looked around a moment, concentrated look on his face.

“Or I won’t tutor you anymore.”

Wonwoo chucked.

“That’s cute.”

“I’m serious!” Junhui exclaimed, a small smile making its way onto his lips.

“Sure. Now, what are we learning today cutie?”

Junhui turned serious in a flash.

“Probably more algebra. Is that okay with you? I just figured we could go over the stuff you’ve learned already, just to freshen your memory up, so you don’t struggle with it in the future.”

Wonwoo smiled again.

“Sounds perfect.”

~~~

“So, do you think you’re okay with all the work?” Junhui asked.

“Yeah, I’m alright with it, like I said, you’re a great teacher. I really appreciate all this, I hope you know that.”

Junhui blushed again.

“That’s really sweet Wonwoo. Thank you. I’m glad.” Junhui replied with a grin.

“No problem. Hey actually, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go get lunch sometime? Obviously, you don’t have to, but I kinda want to get to know you better?” Wonwoo questioned.

The blush that overcame Junhui’s face was worth asking. He suddenly felt glad he decided to let the bet go.

“Sure Wonwoo. I’d love to get to know you better too.” Junhui answered, ducking his head down.

“Great! I’ll um, I’ll pick you up sometime this weeked?” Wonwoo asked, scratching the back of his neck nervously.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you later, Wonwoo.” And he was out the door.

~~~

“Wait, I’m sorry, what?” Mingyu couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“I asked him to get lunch. Like I said I wanted to get to know him better. Why are you smirking?”

“You’re catching feelings!” Mingyu said excitedly.

“What? No, I’m not, I’m Jeon Wonwoo, I don’t catch feelings, you know this. He’s just interesting! And he’s really nice.”

Mingyu’s grin grew bigger.

“Sure, sure. Just one thing. If, or should I say when, you guys start dating, will he find out about this bet?”

“No. He’s never finding out. It was a dumb idea on my part, and I swear to god if he ever finds out I’ll never forgive myself.” Wonwoo said immediately, anger etched all over his face.

“Okay, okay. That’s good to know. Um, one more thing. He’s friends with that Minghao kid, right?” Mingyu asked, a small blush on his face.

Wonwoo smirked. Mingyu just hit him and walked off, muttering a small ‘whatever’ under his breath.

~~~

**New text to: Cutie  
** _“Hey cutie. Can you send me your address? We can go get lunch this Saturday if that’s okay with you.”_

**New text from: Cutie  
** _“Hi!! I’ll send you my address now. Saturday’s fine! ^__^”_

**New text to: Cutie  
** _“Awesome! I’ll pick you up around 11am. See you then xx”_

 

**New text to: Mingyu  
** _“What would you wear to a lunch that may or may not be a date? Asking for a friend.”_

**New text from: Mingyu  
** _“Sure, sure ;). Well, tell this friend that a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a nice pair of pants should be fine :)”_

**New text to: Mingyu  
** _“Thank you!”_

**New text from: Mingyu  
** _“No problem. Have fun on your date ;)”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!  
> I also hoped you enjoyed the subtle gyuhao thrown in because i can't help myself :))


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me, looking at my shitty update schedule: "thats not cute, wendy.."  
> I'M SO SORRY!! my exams were stressing me out, and on top of that i had so many assignments i had to do, i was a straight up Mess, to say the least, so i didn't have time to update, and i am so sorry about that :((
> 
> But!! I'm back now!! I am now officially on school holidays for seven weeks, so hopefully i should be able to update some more!! I hope you guys don't hate me (i told you i suck at chaptered fics) :"))
> 
> Because i've been so shitty at updating, this is the longest chapter i've written!! (it's only 1,341 words bc i still suck at writing) so i hope you enjoy!!

When Wonwoo got home, he took out his maths homework and got started right away. Turns out the tutoring was actually helping somewhat, despite understanding most of the information before, he started applying new facts and concepts to all his work, and it showed in his grades. Another pang of guilt hit his heart about the reason the tutoring started in the first place, but it subsided almost immediately.

‘ _I dropped the bet. It’s okay. He won’t ever find out. He’s never finding out.’_

A loud ding was heard, and he went over to his phone, only slightly hoping it was the boy with purple hair messaging him.

It wasn’t. He tried not to be too disappointed.

**New text from: Unknown number  
** _‘Junhui likes that little café about 10 minutes from school. The one with the flowers outside and fairy lights inside. Says it’s got a good atmosphere and great food.’_

Wonwoo was slightly confused as he read the message over. He knew it couldn’t be a wrong number considering the fact the person knew about Junhui.

**New text to: Unknown number  
** _‘Sorry? Who is this? And how do you know about Junhui?’_

**New text from: Unknown number  
** _‘It’s Minghao. I stole your number from Jun’s phone lmao. Anyway, he’s really excited about getting lunch with you. I thought I’d tell you where he likes to eat just in case you were stuck for ideas :)’_

Wonwoo smiled to himself as he read the message over and over again. The fact that Junhui was just as excited as Wonwoo was just to get lunch boosted his ego by a tenfold. What can he say, he loves validation, who doesn’t?

**New text to: Minghao  
** _‘Oh okay, thanks man, I appreciate it! I’ll take him there then.’_

**New text from: Minghao  
**_‘Just one thing. I’m one of his best friends so I kind of feel like I’m obligated to give you the Best Friend Talk_ ™ _. I know you’re a good person, but if you hurt Junhui, I’ll never forgive you (that sounds so harsh wow, im sorry lmao). I know you won’t, you seem like a good guy, but he’s been hurt before, I can’t help but to feel somewhat protective. He’s so oblivious and naïve, and it’s adorable (as you know), but it makes him an easy target to get hurt. Does that make sense?’_

Wonwoo felt his heart start to race. ‘ _I dropped the bet, it’s okay. Junhui’s never getting hurt.’_

**New text to: Mingao  
** _‘I understand. I promise you, I would never do anything to hurt Junhui. If I did, I could never forgive myself. I like him a lot, and I hope he feels the same about me.’_

**New text from: Minghao  
** _‘Alright, alright, no need to get all mushy on me :”) You’re a good guy, I trust you. Have fun on your date :) And yes, he does feel the same.’_

Wonwoo blushed at that. _‘He does feel the same. I wasn’t the only one freaking out.’_ He thought to himself. It was strange how the roles were reversed, how Wonwoo was the blushing one and how his stomach was filled with butterflies. It felt nice in a strange way. He made a mental note to kick a bin over later. Gotta keep that heartless image after all.

**New text to: Minghao  
** _‘Thank you!’_

**New text from: Minghao  
** _‘No worries. By the way, you’re friends with that really tall kid, right? Mingyu?’_

He smirked as he shut his phone off, choosing to leave it on read. Mingyu would love hearing about it himself.

~~~

The day of the date came sooner than expected, and to say Wonwoo was nervous was a massive understatement. He paced around his room for what seemed like hours, fixing his hair, checking himself in the mirror, deciding how many buttons to button up, deciding on if he should wear a jacket or not. He finished deciding what to wear, and he couldn’t deny he looked good. He had a black button up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the first few buttons were unbuttoned, showing off his prominent collarbones. He wore them with slightly ripped jeans and brown boots. It was a basic outfit, but it worked well. He complimented it all with some eyeliner which made his eyes pop. He ruffled his hair once more, before checking his phone and walking out the door.

**New text to: Cutie  
** _‘Hey sunshine, just left the house, see you in a few x’_

**New text from: Cutie  
** _‘See you soon!!’_

He drove to Junhui’s house, his heart racing more and more as he became closer to his destination. He took some deep breaths, but it didn’t seem to help much. He had to turn on the air conditioner in his car, so he didn’t sweat out through his shirt of nervousness. He eventually reached Jun’s house, and had give himself a small pep talk so he didn’t just run away. He knocked on the door, and when Junhui answered, he was glad he didn’t. Jun was wearing a white knitted jumper, which exposed his collarbones, some dark jeans with some brown boots, and a long grey coat to compliment it all. Upon looking closer, he realized that the latter was also wearing eye makeup, some copper brown eyeshadow, which made his already beautiful eyes stand out even further. He was memorized.

“Wonwoo?” Junhui questioned, squirming when Wonwoo looked him up and down once more.

“What can I say cutie? You’ve rendered me speechless.” He said, the corner of his mouth turning up seeing that familiar red tinge on the latter’s cheeks. How pretty.

“You look really good too, Wonwoo.” Jun replied, his eyes looking down as his blush deepened. Wonwoo chuckled breathily at that.

“Thank you, sunshine. Now, your chariot awaits.” He said, pointing towards his car parked on the side of the street. Jun laughed.

“You’re so silly.” He said with a smile, as he walked over to the car.

~~~

The drive to the café was mostly silent, Junhui asked where they were going, and Wonwoo replied that it was a surprise, leaving the latter giddy and excited for the rest of the trip (which, like always, Wonwoo thought was adorable.) They played some music to get rid of the awkward atmosphere, and Wonwoo watched as Jun mouthed the words, smiling softly.

‘ _I dropped the bet. It’s okay.’_

They stopped outside the café, in which Junhui’s eyes lit up. “How did you know this was my favourite place to eat?”

‘ _He won’t get hurt. You dropped it. It’s fine.’_

“People just know these things. Let’s go, sunshine.”

_‘It’s fine. He’s fine. You’re fine. Everything. Is. Fine.’_

~~~

The date went extremely well in Wonwoo’s opinion. There were no awkward silences, and he adored the way Junhui’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when their cakes were brought out. Wonwoo found himself wanting to know every little thing about the boy in front of him. He wanted to know why Hydrangeas were his favourite flower, wanted to know why he preferred a strawberry milkshake over a chocolate one, wanted to know why he loved the stars, wanted to know why he hated horror movies. Every little thing there was to know about Junhui, Wonwoo wanted to know.

They drove back to Junhui’s house in a comfortable silence, soft smiles on both boys faces.

“Thank you for today, Wonwoo. I had a great time.”

Wonwoo smiled.

“I had a great time too, Junnie. We should do this again sometime.”

“Definitely! I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye, Sunshine. Look after yourself.”

He watched as Junhui got out of the car. He waited until he was back inside his house before driving off, not able to take the smile off his face. In this moment, he had never felt gladder that he broke off the bet. He got to his apartment and took out his phone.

**New text to: Mingyu  
** _‘I have so much to tell you. It went great.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! Again, i'm terribly sorry for the lack of updates, but i pinky promise i'll get better, please bear with me!!! 
> 
> If you have any feedback or constructive criticism, that would be greatly appreciated!! 
> 
> You can also reach me on  
> Twitter: junhuipeach  
> Tumblr: junhuipledis
> 
> Also, here are the outfits described in the fic!  
> Wonwoo: http://plediseventeen17.tumblr.com/post/132126412625/seventeen-hip-hop-unit-for-cosmopolitan-november  
> Junhui: https://fyeahwonhui.tumblr.com/post/167970617704/171128-south-korea-to-japan


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow look at that! she updated for once! only took her two weeks! 
> 
> i don't even have an excuse, i'm just a garbage human being, and i'm very sorry, I WILL GET BETTER, TRUST ME
> 
> nevertheless, i hope you enjoy this chapter!!

Mingyu had, quite frankly, had enough. He had enough with hearing about “Junhui this” and “Junhi that.” Wonwoo was smitten with the boy with purple hair, it was clear to anyone who was in a room for longer than 10 minutes with him ( _“Jun is so cute” “Jun has that shirt” “Oh Jun likes that movie”)_. It was adorable though, he had to admit.

“How many dates have you been on now?” Mingyu asked.

“Three. The café, bowling and we saw that movie last Friday. All of them went great, he’s great.”

“I’d hope so, you talk about him like he puts the stars in the sky, anyone would think you were married.”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes, hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

“I don’t talk about him _that_ much.” Mingyu just nodded, throwing him a side-eye.

“Whatever. Are you bringing him to that party this weekend?”

Wonwoo thought for a moment before answering.

“I’ve thought about it, but you know how shy he is. I don’t think he’d appreciate being around a bunch of loud and rowdy drunk kids.”

Mingyu nodded.

“That’s understandable. Plus, you get really mouthy when you get drunk.”

Wonwoo furrowed his brows in confusion.

“What are you talking about? Why does that matter?” he questioned.

“Well, you’ve been feeling anxious about the bet, I don’t want you getting drunk and spilling the bet to him if he does end up going.”

Wonwoo sighed. His own anxiety did usually get the best of him when he was drunk.

“That too. But what am I supposed to do? I can’t just not drink whenever he’s around, I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

Mingyu nodded again. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he turned red, which Wonwoo noticed.

“What is it?” Wonwoo questioned.

“You know how Minghao was telling you where to go for your date?”

Wonwoo nodded, not understanding.

“Well, has he ever talked about me?” Mingyu asked nervously.

Wonwoo smirked.

“He asked about you before.”

Mingyu’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Really? When? What did he say? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Wonwoo faked looking at his watch before gasping.

“Look at the time! I’m gonna be late for class, I better run.”

“Wait! Wonwoo! What did he say?” Mingyu yelled desperately.

“Later!” Wonwoo called back, already out the door, laughing to himself.

~~~

Dates with Jun always ended well. Wonwoo would walk him back to his dorm room, insisting that it was too dark and dangerous for him to walk back alone. Junhui would feel guilty, and Wonwoo would press a small kiss to his forehead, and reassure him that he didn’t have to. Jun would smile shyly and thank him, before reminding him to be safe as he made his own way home.

So basically, it was safe to say Wonwoo was smitten as fuck.

He thought back to the party. Would inviting Jun really be a good idea? He decided it was. What could it hurt? He took out his phone and sent the boy a quick text.

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _‘Hey sunshine, I had a lot of fun tonight, we should do it again soon :) Just wanted to ask something, there’s a party going on this Saturday, and I wanted to know if you wanted to go with me? Minghao can come as well, I’ll be with you the whole time, and you definitely don’t have to drink if you don’t want to. What do you say, cutie? (don’t feel pressured to come either, it’s completely your decision).’_

**New text from: Sunshine  
** _‘Hi Wonu!! I had lots of fun too, we should definitely do it again soon :) Um, I guess so, parties aren’t really my thing so I’ll probably be really awkward the entire time, but I need a break from all this homework :”) Sure, I’ll come, but I probably won’t be drinking just to let you know :)’_

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _‘That’s fine Junnie, I probably will drink, is that okay with you?’_

**New text from: Sunshine  
** _‘Wonu, of course it’s okay, no need to ask me :”)’_

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _‘Just checking sweetheart :”) I’ll pick you and Minghao up, he and Mingyu can make out in the backseat or something.’_

**New text from: Sunshine  
** _‘it wouldn’t surprise me if they do!! Sounds good, see you then xx’_

~~~

When they arrived, the music was so loud you could hear it from the end of the street where they parked, there were kids already passed out on the front lawn, and everywhere you went smelt of alcohol. Wonwoo noticed the look of worry in Junhui’s eyes, and gave his hand a comforting squeeze, which made him smile slightly.

When they got inside was the worrying part. Not even two steps in the door and they were being greeted by various drunk people, all suddenly wanting to be best friends. It was at this moment Wonwoo decided he’d need a drink if he wanted to deal with this all night.

“Hey Junnie, I’m just gonna get a quick drink and I’ll be right back.” Wonwoo called out over the loud music. Jun gave a thumbs up in response, and retreated to the back of the room with Mingaho and Mingyu following behind him.

Wonwoo felt the buzz of the strong drink straight away, starting to loosen up slightly. He walked over to where the three other boys were, and asked if they wanted anything. Jun and Minghao both declined, but Mingyu was quick to accept, saying ‘I swear if another guy I don’t know tries to come up to me and hug me when I’m this painfully sober, I’m gonna lose my mind.’

The night carried on, Wonwoo downed more drinks until he was, well and truly, drunk, which Junhui thought was absolutely hilarious.

‘Wonwoo sweetie, are you okay? You might wanna take It a bit easier on the drinks.” Jun said with a giggle.

“Of course I’m okay Junnie! I’m having a great time!” Wonwoo slurred, prompting Jun to giggle some more.

“I’m glad Wonwoo.”

“I just hope you’ll be okay. Please be okay, I don’t want you to hate me!” Wonwoo said.

Junhui looked at him with confusion.

“Why wouldn’t I be okay? Why would I ever hate you, Wonwoo?” he asked.

“Because,” Wonwoo started, “You’re gonna find out about the bet. I bet that I could make you fall in love with me in less than a week for 20 bucks. I’m sorry! Don’t hate me!”

Wonwoo couldn’t even see Junhui’s reaction before he passed out on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOP ANGST TIME!! 
> 
> not gonna lie, this chapter was an absolute pain in the ass to write, which is partially why it took me so long to actually write it :") i hope it isn't as bad as i think it is, but please feel free to leave any feedback/constructive criticism! 
> 
> (i also don't know what being drunk is like?? i've literally never had a drop of alcohol in my life, so if i got anything wrong please let me know lmaoo)
> 
> Thank you for reading!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> sorry for not updating sooner. due to recent events (which i'm sure you all know about) i was very upset and i didn't have it in me to write angst (or anything at all for that matter). the whole situation hit very close to home and i just didn't feel like doing anything. I hope you all understand.
> 
> I just wanna let you all know if you ever need someone to talk to, i'm always here. 
> 
> there will be angst in this chapter, just to let you all know.

When Wonwoo woke up, his head was pounding, his mouth was dry, and he felt nauseous. He took out his phone, remembering that Junhui was with him at the party, and nowhere to be seen now.

**New text to: Sunshine**  
_“Hey Junnie. Do you mind telling me where you are? I don’t remember much from last night, how could you let me drink that much? :”) I remembered you came with me to the party, but you’re not here now? Please message me asap, I’m kinda worrying here lmao x”_

He waited anxiously for a reply. He hoped Jun at least got home safely. 10 minutes passed, and still no reply, which was unusual for Junhui. He was the type to reply fairly quickly.

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _“Junnie? Please message me, I’m worried. I don’t remember you drinking much, but to be fair, I don’t remember much at all.”_

He decided the best thing for his anxiety would be to hop into the shower and clean himself up instead of staring at his phone screen, watching the clock. He reeked of alcohol and sweat, and he figured he might relax if he could take his mind off it for a few minutes.

He jumped out the shower immediately after hearing the ding of his phone, telling him he had a new message.

**New text from: Minghao  
** _“Fuck you. Literally, fuck you. I hate you so much right now you don’t even understand. I would come over right now if Junhui wasn’t crying on my shoulder, you absolute prick.”_

To say Wonwoo was confused was an understatement. He reread the message over and over again, hoping it was just his hungover brain making up words on the screen. He felt his heart beat rapidly, trying desperately to remember what he could’ve done.

**New text to: Minghao  
** _“I’m sorry? What are you talking about? Are you with Junnie? Why’s he crying?”_

He bit his nails, jumping when he heard the ding of his phone again.

**New text from: Minghao  
** _“20 fucking dollars. Was that all he was worth to you? You have no fucking idea how bad I wanna punch your face in, but Junhui won’t let me do that. You know why? Because he’s a decent human being, who doesn’t like seeing people get hurt. But you wouldn’t know what that’s like, would you? And yes, Jun is with me. Why’s he crying? Well, I’m certain you can figure that out for yourself.”_

Wonwoo’s heart stopped. He felt the breath leave his lungs, and he became more nauseous than before.

**New text to: Minghao  
** _“What are you talking about? Is he okay?”_

**New text from: Mingao  
** _“What am I talking about. Playing dumb, gotcha. The fucking bet, you thick headed asshole. You know, the one where you could make Jun fall for you in less than a week? You have the audacity to ask if he’s okay right now. Well, considering he found out that a relationship he thought was going somewhere was actually built on lies? He’s peachy. He’s doing real good. How fucking dare you. What even goes through your head to come up with something like this?”_

Memories of the night before came rushing in. The drunken confession.

**New text to: Minghao  
** _“Let me explain.”_

**New text from: Minghao  
** _“I don’t wanna fucking hear it. You promised me you wouldn’t hurt him. You promised him you wouldn’t hurt him.”_

**New text to: Minghao  
** _“Trust me, that was never my intention.”_

**New text from: Minghao  
** _“Then what was your intention? Because I can guarantee, no matter what your intentions were, it was going to end up just like this.”_

**New text to: Minghao  
** _“I dropped the bet before it got anywhere. I know that probably doesn’t make any of this better, but trust me, I saw what a kind, loveable and amazing person Junhui is. I dropped it because I hoped maybe it would go somewhere for real.”_

**New text from: Minghao  
** _“You’re right. It doesn’t make it better. The fact that you even started this bet in the first place just goes to show hoe much of an ass you are. I just have one question. Was Mingyu involved in any of this.”_

Wonwoo sighed. He knew if he didn’t tell Minghao, he would find out anyway.

**New text to: Minghao  
** _“Not entirely. I mean, he knew about it, if that’s what you mean. He wanted me to drop it as soon as it started.”_

**New text from: Minghao  
** _“He knew about it? Great. Tell him to go fuck himself too. If he knew about it, he could’ve told one of us.”_

**New text to: Minghao  
** _“Please don’t hate him, he didn’t do anything wrong. He just wanted to be a good friend.”_

**New text from: Minghao  
** _“Don’t tell me what to do. I have to go comfort Junnie.”_

Wonwoo put his phone back on charge and started to cry. How could he have fucked up this much? How was he going to make it up to them? He wiped his eyes and flopped back on to the bed, curling up into a ball. He fell asleep with tears in his eyes, wondering just how badly he hurt the boy with purple hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading!!
> 
> i'm sorry it is super short and mostly just texting, but i didn't have it in me to write anything. i hope you all understand x  
> thank you all for your patience with this fic 
> 
> Again, if you ever need someone to talk to, you can message me on   
> tumblr: junhuipledis  
> twitter: @junhuipeach
> 
> I hope you all have a fantastic day/night x


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> First of all, it's 2018 in Australia right now, so happy new year!! I hope 2018 treats you all very well xx
> 
> I originally wanted to have this out on Joshua's birthday, but i ended up getting extremely sick and had to stay in bed for the rest of the day, but happy birthday to Joshua nonetheless! (also, fun fact about me: me and Joshua share a birthday! I was also born on the 30th of December, i'm 16 now woo!) 
> 
> Again, thank you all for your patience with this fic xx

Mingyu did what any other best friend would do. He took Wonwoo’s phone off him to make sure he didn’t send any stupid messages to Junhui begging for forgiveness. He made sure to comfort Wonwoo during his many bouts of sadness, and to make sure he didn’t drink himself to death.

 

That stupid party. Why Wonwoo even decided it was a good idea to bring Junhui was beyond him. He held off on asking though, Wonwoo looked like he regretted that decision with every passing second. He wrestled the third bottle of vodka off Wonwoo before deciding it would be best to put him to bed again.

 

“Mingyu I fucked up. I fucked up really, really bad. Junhui hates me! He hates me, Mingyu. What do I do? I don’t want him to hate me, I really, really don’t want him to hate me.” Wonwoo slurred, dried tear tracks still prominent on his rosy cheeks.

“Wonwoo, that might not be true. You’ve only spoken to Minghao, you don’t know what Jun is feeling right now.”

“Minghao hates my guts. And yours too, I don’t know why!” Wonwoo hiccupped.

“I’m aware, thank you for reminding me.” Mingyu sighed, rolling his eyes. Wonwoo shot up to grab his hand.

“I’m sorry, don’t hate me too! You’re my best friend, I love you Mingyu! Don’t hate me, Jun and Minghao already do.” Wonwoo slurred again.

“Wonwoo, I could never hate you. Trust me on that.” Mingyu smiled slightly. Wonwoo was always affectionate when he was drunk, something Mingyu wasn’t used to seeing considering the latter wasn’t a very touchy person.

“Good. I have a headache.”

“Well that’s why you’re going to bed. I’ll get you some water and pain killers, you drank so much you’ll definitely have an even worse headache in the morning.”

“You’re the best, Mingyu.” Wonwoo sighed, his eyes drooping, pulling the blanket up to his chin.

“Trust me, I know.” Mingyu smiled.

~~~

When Wonwoo woke up, he let out a sigh of relief at the sight of cold water and painkillers on his bedside table. He silently thanked Mingyu before downing it, hoping his headache would leave soon. He headed into the kitchen to make himself some breakfast before seeing the note left on the counter.

‘ _Just going out to get some groceries, be back soon. -Mingyu’_

Wonwoo scrunched the paper up and threw it into the bin. He looked over at his phone, contemplating if apologising to Junhui was worth it, considering he had only done it through Minghao and not to Junhui directly. He decided it was fine, if Junhui didn’t want to talk, he would respect that, but he felt an apology was needed.

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _“Hey Junhui. I know I’m probably the last person you wanna hear from right now, but I figured you deserve an apology. I’m so, so sorry, Junhui. What I did was the nastiest and most disgusting thing ever, and you don’t deserve it in the slightest. I saw you for the person you truly are, a kind, loving, thoughtful person. I’m sorry I took advantage of that. I know you probably hate me right now, trust me, I would too, but i am truly so, so sorry Junhui.”_

He put his phone down and his head in his hands. He didn’t feel bad for sending the message, but there was always that nauseating feeling after sending someone something risky. He heard his phone ding from across the counter. Assuming it was Mingyu asking if he was awake he walked over to it, unlocking it. What he didn’t expect to see was a reply from the boy with the purple hair.

**New text from: Sunshine  
** _‘I don’t hate you, Wonwoo. I’m just upset and confused. I don’t know if I am ready to forgive you, or if I even will to be quite honest, but I want to make it clear that I don’t hate you, Wonwoo.’_

Wonwoo’s eyes widened at the message, fingers working quickly to type a new one out.

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _‘Can we meet up? It doesn’t have to be for long, I just want to explain myself in person.’_

**New text from: Sunshine  
** _‘I’m not sure if that’d be a good idea. I’m sorry Wonwoo. I just can’t right now.’_

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _‘I should be the one saying sorry. I completely understand, Junhui. Have a good rest of the day.’_

Junhui didn’t reply after that and Wonwoo swore his heart had never felt this heavy. He looked over at the half-finished bottle of vodka and downed a mouthful. He knew drinking his feelings away probably wasn’t the healthiest thing, but he couldn’t really find it in him to care.

Mingyu came home to a now finished bottle and Wonwoo looking like he was about to cry again at any minute. He was glad he decided against buying anymore alcohol as he put Wonwoo to bed again.

Guilt ate at Wonwoo for the rest of the day, and he held onto the tiny thought that maybe he and Junhui would work it out somehow.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!
> 
> Happy new year to all of you!! xx 
> 
> I wanna apologize for the chapter being so short, i wanted to have this out by new years


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> just a quick lil heads up, i go back to school very soon, so updates will probably go back to being very jumbled up and all over the place (i say like it wasn't before) 
> 
> another thing, at the moment i'm not in a good headspace. i just feel very down and anxious lately, so because of that updates may be even slower. i'm very sorry, i'm not the best writer, but i am trying my best. i hope you all understand x
> 
> hope you all enjoy the chapter! xx

Wonwoo ended up not touching his phone for a few days, fearing that he would get too emotional and message Junhui. Mingyu thought it was strange seeing him like this, seeing his usually cocky, outgoing and flirtatious best friend be cooped up in his house, trying to get over a boy that wasn’t really his in the first place. Usually he’d be laughing over it, laughing at the fact that he had made someone fall for him in such a short amount of time, but this wasn’t just anyone. This was Wen Junhui, the boy Wonwoo had fallen for. And what did Wonwoo go and do? Break his heart.

“At least you know he doesn’t hate you now.” Mingyu comforted, rubbing his friends back.

“Yeah. He should though. I’m a horrible person, Mingyu. He should hate me.”

“Wonwoo, stop it. You’re not a horrible person. Yes, you can be an asshole most of the time, but you’re not the horrible demon you’re making yourself out to be. You stopped the bet and developed a conscience. That has to mean something.”

Wonwoo sniffled and looked up at his best friend.

“And let’s face it,” Mingyu continued, “you two probably never would’ve interacted if it weren’t for this bet. Sure, it wasn’t the best way to meet someone, but hey, look where it got you guys.”

Wonwoo sighed. He knew Mingyu was right, if it weren’t for this bet, the two boys probably would have never even crossed paths. Even though it was on awful circumstances, Wonwoo was glad he crossed paths with Junhui.

“Thanks, Mingyu.” Wonwoo said, smiling for the first time in a few days. Mingyu was glad.

“No problem, Wonwoo.”

~~~

Wonwoo was getting ready for bed when he heard his phone ding, indicating a new message. He walked over to it, surprised when he saw who had texted him.

**New text from: Minghao  
** _‘Hey Wonwoo. I think you and Junhui should talk. I think what would be good for both of you is some closure. He doesn’t have the full story and I think he deserves to hear it, despite what I said last time. I’m sorry I went off at you so much. It’s just. Junhui is so vulnerable as it is. He’s so sweet and caring all the time, always putting others before himself, making sure everyone is happy. It makes him an easy target to get hurt. You came along, and I saw how much he liked you. I thought maybe he won’t get hurt this time. So, understandably, I was mad when I found out. I didn’t let you explain yourself. But I think he deserves to know.’_

Wonwoo read the large paragraph of text over and over again. Meeting up with Junhui didn’t sound like a good idea to him, but he knew Minghao was right. They both needed closure in order to move forward. He just hoped ‘forward’ meant a life with Junhui still in it.

**New text to: Minghao  
** _‘Hey. I think it’s a good idea too, we both can talk out some stuff. Don’t apologize for what you said, I deserved it. I was a selfish prick. I think he deserves to know as well.’_

**New text from: Minghao  
** _‘Great. I’ll let him know.’_

**New text to: Minghao  
** _‘Okay. Just a question, have you talked to Mingyu at all? I think he’d like to explain himself too. His involvement in all this.’_

**New text from: Minghao  
** _‘We talked a little bit on the phone, he’s coming over tomorrow to explain himself. Maybe you and Junhui should do it tomorrow too, so we’re all on the same page?’_

**New text to: Minghao  
** _‘Sounds good. I truly am sorry for all this.’_

**New text from: Minghao  
** _‘I’m not the one you should be apologizing to. I’ll see you tomorrow, Wonwoo.’_

~~~

When Wonwoo woke up, he felt heavy. Like the coil of anxiety in his stomach had wrapped around his whole body and stayed there. He got up out of the bed, and began to get ready to meet up with Junhui. Mingyu made sure to drive them there. He didn’t say why, but Wonwoo knew it was because of his shaky hands and the fact that he needed to remember to breathe sometimes. Nervous wouldn’t even begin to describe how Wonwoo felt, but he couldn’t help but wonder how bad Jun must be having it right now.

 

They pulled up in front of Jun and Minghao’s dorm room, and Wonwoo felt the coil begin to tighten. He felt like he was being strangled, he was short of breath and dizzy with nerves. But he had to push through. For Junhui, he had to do it. Mingyu walked up to the door and knocked. The five seconds it took for them to answer were the longest five seconds of Wonwoo’s entire life.

“Hey guys. Nice to see you again. Mingyu come in, I’ll get Junhui for you, Wonwoo.” Minghao said with a nervous smile. If Minghao was nervous, he didn’t even want to see what Junhui looked like right now. Unfortunately, a nervous Junhui was exactly what he was faced with when he walked into the room. He was tugging at the sleeves of his hoodie, and he had dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn’t been able to get any sleep for a while. Wonwoo felt the guilt rise up again and he felt sick, but he couldn’t back out. He couldn’t.

“I guess let’s go then.” Jun said, not looking Wonwoo in the eye, choosing to stare at the floor instead.

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Wonwoo replied, hoping his voice didn’t crack out of nervousness.

They walked silently to a park, Wonwoo occasionally sneaking glances at the boy beside him. He saw Junhui shivering, but resisted the urge to take off his hoodie and give it to him. They sat down on a park bench, and Wonwoo felt it was time to start explaining.

“Okay. I guess we’re here, so I want to explain myself as soon as possible. Junhui I am so sorry. For what I did to you, for what I did to us, why we’re even sitting on this bench. What I did was the most disgusting thing I can think of.”

Junhui stayed silent for a few moments, before whispering.

“What was the bet about? Why did you do it?”

“This is going to make me sound horrible, but you deserve to know. I did it because I knew you were a shy quiet kid. I thought maybe it would be easy y’know? The shyer ones are usually the ones who fall the quickest. But then I got to know you. I got to see the kind, loveable, smart, loyal person you are. To tell you the truth, I ended up falling for you first. I think it was when you raced into the library that one time, out of breath and stumbling over your words because you didn’t want to keep me waiting. I knew you were a kind-hearted person.”

He saw Junhui’s mouth turn slightly upwards into a shy smile. He still avoided eye contact, but it was a start, and that was good enough for Wonwoo.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me. But now you know the story, and I hope that you can find some comfort. I’m so sorry, Junhui.”

Junhui took a deep breath before speaking.

“I fell for you too, Wonwoo. I can’t believe I’m admitting it, but I did. I fell for you too. I forgive you. But I don’t think I can trust you. I think we should go back to being friends. No hand holding, no cuddling, no dates. I like you Wonwoo, I really do. But I just can’t right now.”

Wonwoo nodded.

“I understand. I’m more than happy to be friends, Jun. I’d like that very much.”

They both shared a smile and talked out some other stuff. Sure, “just friends” wasn’t what Wonwoo had hoped for, but he was glad nonetheless. It was a step in the right direction, and Wonwoo was thankful for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading, like always, feedback/constructive criticism is always appreciated x
> 
> again, i'd like to thank you all for your patience with this fic xx


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!!
> 
> just a short lil filler chapter! hope thats okay x
> 
> like i said last chapter, i do go back to school very soon, so updates are gonna be a bit all over the place, i hope you all understand. thank you for your patience x

Wonwoo walked back to the apartment, a small smile on his face. ‘Just friends’ was never what he wanted, but it was a starting point. He felt hopeful, like maybe something could work out. Like maybe he could be the boyfriend Junhui deserved. But even if they remained ‘just friends’ forever, he was just glad Junhui still wanted him in his life.

He walked into the apartment. Mingyu was watching tv, school notes neglected on the couch, engrossed in the drama on screen.

“Mingyu?” Wonwoo said, trying to break him out of his daze.

“Oh, Wonwoo, I didn’t notice you. How’d the talk go? You guys back together?” Mingyu asked, turning off the tv.

“Not exactly. I mean, we’re okay for now, Jun wants to be just friends.” Wonwoo replied.

“Well it’s a start I guess. How are you taking it?”

“Alright, actually. Obviously, it’s not exactly what I wanted, but if he’s happy, I’m happy. He still wants me in his life, that’s got to count for something.” Wonwoo reasoned.

“That’s true. Hey, Wonwoo? I want to apologize. I’m so sorry I even started this bet in the first place. If I hadn’t suggested it, this never would have happened. I’m just as guilty as you are, and I’m so sorry. I hope you can forgive me.” Mingyu apologized, his eyes downcast in shame. Wonwoo stared at him with an opened mouth, not believing the words that left Mingyus mouth.

“Mingyu. You do not need to apologize at all. It was my fault. You were joking around, I shouldn’t have taken the bet so seriously. I let my masculinity get in the way. What happened with Jun and I wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have done the bet. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Wonwoo assured.

Mingyu looked up, a sad look in his eye.

“Are you sure?”

“One hundred percent sure. Now, how did your talk with Minghao go?” Wonwoo asked, quickly changing the subject.

“Mostly the same as yours. We both know we want to be together, but we both agreed some time to heal is the most important thing before jumping straight back in. He needs to know if he can trust me, which is fair. We’re just gonna take it one step at a time.” Mingyu answered, his eyebrows furrowed together, like he was coming to terms with it himself.

Wonwoo nodded.

“Well that’s good. Looks like we’re all finally on the same page. Thank God.” Wonwoo sighed, flopping onto the couch.

“Thank God indeed.” Mingyu chuckled, turning on the tv again.

~~~

Wonwoo saw Junhui again a few days later. He couldn’t help the way his heartbeat quickened and how his chest tightened at the sight of him, but he had to remember what Junhui had wanted. Just friends. Nothing more. Which was fine. Totally. No matter how badly he wanted to press a kiss into his forehead and intertwine their fingers as Junhui told him about his day. It couldn’t happen. Because they were just friends. Wonwoo tried to keep the disappointment off his face, but apparently it was noticeable.

“Wonwoo? Why do you look so down? Did something happen?” Junhui asked, walking over, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.  

Wonwoo chuckled. No matter how much he tried to hide it, he was smitten for the boy. It was a shame he had to screw that up. Just friends. The words left a bad taste in his mouth, but it wasn’t about what he wanted.

“I’m fine Junnie. Just I think I may have failed my test, I didn’t understand much.” Wonwoo replied.

“Oh, don’t be silly Wonwoo, I’m sure you did great! Now, do you wanna go get some lunch? We can get your mind off it.”

“Sure, that sounds good.” Wonwoo smiled. Even after everything he had done, Junhui still doted on him and made sure he was okay. What he did to deserve this boy was beyond him, but he still thanked whatever the hell was out there for blessing him with the boy with purple hair.

“Great! Let’s go!” Junhui said, racing off without telling Wonwoo where exactly they were going. He smiled softly to himself.

  _‘Just friends.’_ He reminded himself. _‘Nothing more.’_ He sighed and began to run after Junhui, deciding that wherever they went, he’d be happy as long as Junhui was there.

~~~

They strolled along the street, Wonwoo walking Junhui back to his dorm. He tried to not think about how this is exactly how all their dates ended. Wonwoo glanced at the boys hand, wanting desperately to hold it in his own, to remind himself of how perfectly it fit. But he couldn’t. Because they were just friends. Just. Friends. The words replayed themselves over and over in his head like a mantra.

“Thanks for walking me back, Wonwoo and thank you for buying lunch!” Junhui said, a smile gracing his lips.

“Oh, yeah, sure, it was no problem at all.” Wonwoo stumbled over his words.

“Well, had a lot of fun today. I’ll see you tomorrow! Bye!” Junhui said, entering his dorm.

“Bye.” Wonwoo sighed. He began his walk home. He felt guilty. The one thing Junhui wanted was to be just friends. Wonwoo was so sure that was fine at the beginning of the day, but he failed to remember what it was like to be able to hold Junhui in his arms. Didn’t know what he had until it was gone. But this wasn’t about him. This was about what Junhui wanted, and he was just going to have to accept that.

He kicked a small pebble lying on the footpath. Just friends. He sighed. Maybe one day he’d come to terms with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!
> 
> side note i wrote this at 3:30am so if there are any grammar/spelling mistakes, don't hesitate to point them out!
> 
> also, i wrote this while listening to "only you" by Matthew Perryman Jones, so it's safe to say i cried a lil bit writing this :") totally would recommend the song, it's honestly so beautiful, and i feel like it fits the theme of this chapter quite well!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!!!
> 
> i'm back!! sorry for taking so long, school is already stressing me out to the max and it's only been the first two weeks :") but!! i'm here with chapter 11!! i tried to make it slightly longer, just as an apology for taking so long
> 
> again, updates will probably be super slow, and i wanted to thank you all for your patience with this fic, it means a lot to see all your supportive comments xx

He tried. He really did. Wonwoo tried to not mope and feel sorry for himself. This wasn’t about him. But somehow, whenever Junhui’s name came up in conversation, he would feel his heart beat faster, and he’d feel an overwhelming sense of sadness and guilt wash over him. He knew Junhui didn’t like that he still felt shame about the whole ordeal, it was brought up during their talk.

[“ _Wonwoo, you need to stop feeling so bad about it. It’s over now, it happened. I’m over it, mostly. You need to forgive yourself sometimes. You’re too harsh on yourself. Please stop apologizing for it okay? Try to be nicer to yourself, yeah?” Junhui said, placing a hand on Wonwoo’s leg._

_“Okay Junhui. I promise.”]_

But that promise was a hard one to keep. It was hard walking around with Junhui, not being able to hold his hand. It was hard to go places with him, not being able to tell him how cute he looked. It was hard not to kiss the pout off of his face when he complained about school. And it was his fault. He was the reason for it.

Mingyu, like always, must have noticed the fact that Wonwoo was off.

“Wonwoo. What’s wrong now? I thought you and Junhui worked everything out? You can talk to me about anything, you know that right? I’m your best friend.”

“I know Mingyu. And I appreciate that more than you know. It’s just, I can’t help but feel like an absolute asshole every time I think of him. It sounds so stupid I know, I sound fucking pathetic. But I miss him. I miss being able to hold his hand and kiss him whenever I wanted. And it’s my fault, Mingyu. I’m the reason I can’t do those things. I’m the reason we’re just friends. It’s my fault. How can I just forgive myself? How can I just forgive myself for hurting him like that?” Wonwoo rambled on, tears forming in his eyes, which shocked Mingyu. Wonwoo had never been a crier, but the boy with purple hair was now bringing him to tears.

Mingyu pulled him into a hug and let him cry into his shoulder, petting his hair and hushing him.

“It’s okay, Wonwoo. Listen to me. Sure, you fucked up. Who hasn’t? That doesn’t make you a bad person in the slightest. And Junhui? Sure, you may not have the same relationship. You may remain just friends forever. But that’s okay. I know it hurts now, but in the long run, both of you will be happier. I’m gonna sound like a shitty friend, but right now? It’s not about what you want. This is about Junhui, and if he wants to remain friends? I know it sucks, but you’re going to have to deal with that.”

Wonwoo breathed in.

“I know Mingyu. You don’t sound like a shitty friend at all, I needed to hear it. Thank you.” Wonwoo said, drying his eyes.

“It’s okay.” Mingyu replied, giving Wonwoo a soft smile.

“How are you and Minghao by the way? I’ve been so caught up feeling sorry for myself that I didn’t bother asking.”

Mingyu’s face lit up slightly.

“It’s going good actually. We’re hanging out more, and he told me that he’d be open to being in a relationship with me. Not yet of course, but he’d be open to it. When he’s ready.”

“Mingyu, that’s great!” Wonwoo chirped, now feeling slightly happier.

“I know!” Mingyu replied, a faint redness to his cheeks.

They sat in silence after that. Wonwoo tried focusing on the television to get his mind off of things, but he couldn’t help but think about Junhui. If Minghao gave Mingyu a second chance, would Wonwoo be granted that chance too? He hoped it would, but it was up to Junhui after all. Whatever Junhui decided, he’d be happy. He’d have to be.

~~~

After the whole fiasco that happened at that dreaded party so long ago, Wonwoo swore he would never go to another one. That was until, Junhui invited him to one. He was whipped, what could he say?

**New text from: Sunshine  
** “ _Hey Wonu!! So, I heard around that there’s this party happening tonight, did you wanna come with Minghao and I? Mingyu could come too!!”_

Wonwoo was prone to overthinking, even more so when it came to Junhui. Was this a date? Was asking someone to a party a date? He guessed not, considering Minghao was coming and Mingyu was invited, but still, it didn’t stop his mind from racing.

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _“Hey Junnie. I guess so, sounds like fun! I thought you didn’t like parties though?”_

**New text from: Sunshine  
** _“I don’t, usually, but since Minghao is coming (and now you!!) it made me feel more comfortable. Plus, the host is really cool lol :”)”_

Wonwoo didn’t know why, but he felt a sting of jealousy hit him. What did he mean by cool? Did he mean cool as in ‘wow, I wanna be his friend’ cool? or ‘wow, he’s really good looking’ cool? or ‘wow he’s so much better than Wonwoo, he didn’t go and shatter my heart’ cool? He knew he was getting ahead of himself, but he couldn’t stop it. The words ‘just friends’ repeated themselves in his head. God dammit. He was losing his mind.

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _“Oh. Okay. Well, I’ll be there. Just text me the details I guess.”_

**New text from: Sunshine  
** _“Awesome! See you there!!”_

Wonwoo threw his phone on the couch and screamed into his pillow. ‘Get a grip’ he told himself. He breathed in and out, hoping by some miracle it would cease the pit of anxiety forming in his stomach. It didn’t. At least he tried.

~~~

Junhui and Minghao picked up Mingyu and Wonwoo from their dorm to go to this party. Wonwoo’s anxiety still wasn’t letting up, but he tried to look cheerful. It would be rude to sit there moping all night, no matter much he wanted to. After all, Junhui had been nice enough to invite him out in the first place.

They arrived at the house, and Wonwoo felt the bass of the music vibrate through his whole body. He sighed. This was gonna be a long night. He already told himself we wasn’t going to drink, bad things seem to happen when he was drunk. Apparently, Junhui had decided to do the same, considering he had yet to go to the table filled with alcohol, whereas Minghao and Mingyu were already chugging the first drink they could get their hands on.

They stood next to each other in an awkward silence, before Junhui decided he was going to go get some food. Wonwoo stood near the door, phone in hand, thankful for the small distraction. It worked for about five minutes before he got anxious again. Where was he? Surely getting food didn’t take this long, right? Did he do it just to get away from him? He shook away the thought. If Junhui didn’t want him to be here, he wouldn’t have invited him. He took in a deep breath, trailing off to go find Jun, worrying about him now. This house was huge and Junhui didn’t do well in crowds.

When Wonwoo finally found him, he felt the pang of jealousy hit him again. A guy Wonwoo had never seen before was talking to Junhui, and if Jun didn’t look so uncomfortable, maybe Wonwoo would have spent a little more time feeling sorry for himself. Walking closer, he was able to hear the conversation between the two more clearly.

“So, you from around here?” The guy slurred. Wonwoo clenched his fists.

“U-Um, no, I’m not” Jun replied, clearly trying to be nice.

“Well, aren’t you just a pretty little thing? No need to be shy, gorgeous.”

Wonwoo had decided he’d heard enough. Walking over, he positioned himself in between the two.

“Hey, don’t think he’s interested buddy. You can move along now, thank you.” Wonwoo sneered, taking Jun’s hand in his own and walking away. He tried not to remember how nice it felt, considering the circumstance.

They got away safely and were once again, standing in silence before Junhui spoke up.

“Um. Thanks, Wonwoo. I appreciated that.” Junhui whispered, looking down at the ground.

“It’s not a problem, Jun. Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you at all?” Wonwoo asked, concern etched all over his face.

“Oh, no, nothing like that, just some creep I guess. Well, I think we should get going home, I’ve had enough of this place.”

“Okay Junhui, whatever you want.” Wonwoo nodded before scrambling off to find Mingyu and Minghao.

They drove home in silence, apart from the drunken mumbles that came from the other boys in the car. Junhui dropped Wonwoo and Mingyu home with a short goodbye before driving off.

Wonwoo tucked Mingyu into his bed, walking to his own afterwards. He wondered if stepping in the situation was the right thing to do, but he was too tired to let his anxious thoughts keep him up. He had enough of those tonight to last him a lifetime. He just hoped Junhui wasn’t as quiet tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!!
> 
> idk how i feel about this chapter, i felt like my writing was a little off, but let me know what you guys thought!!
> 
> thank you all for being so kind to me, especially since i suck at updating :") xx
> 
> if you ever wanna talk, you can reach me on:  
> tumblr: junhuipeach  
> twitter: @junhuipeach
> 
> have a great day!!! x


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!!!
> 
> i'm back with another update! you guys know by now why it took so long, school, senior student, mental health, all that fun stuff :") 
> 
> only one or two chapters left to go!!!! thank you all so so much for your support, it means the absolute world to me. even though im not the greatest writer ever, thank you for sticking around and reading this messy fic :")
> 
> hope you enjoy!! x

When Wonwoo woke up, he immediately took out his phone to text Junhui. He had to check if he was alright, it was the only thing on his mind.

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _‘Hey Junnie. I just wanted to know if you’re okay. I know last night got a bit hectic, and I’m sorry for stepping in and being rude like that.’_

**New text from: Sunshine  
** _‘Hey Wonu, I’m fine, trust me. Please don’t apologize for stepping in, i’m honestly so grateful you did, I was too scared to say anything to that creep last night. I’m sorry for getting distant by the end of it, I guess I was just overwhelmed? Scared? I don’t know, don’t beat yourself up over it though, you did absolutely nothing wrong. Thank you, Wonu x’_

Wonwoo read over the text, a sigh of relief escaping his lips, finding comfort in the fact he didn’t screw things up for once. He simultaneously tried not to overanalyse the little ‘x’ left at the end of the message. And was failing. Badly.

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _‘As long as you’re okay, I’m happy. Did you maybe wanna go for a walk in the park today, around 12? It’s beautiful out, we can take your mind off of things?’_

  **New text from: Sunshine  
**_‘That sounds really nice actually. I’ll see you there x’_

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _‘Perfect. See you then x’_

Wonwoo put his phone back on charge, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and headed to the bathroom to take a shower, making sure to use his nicer smelling body wash. For his own personal reasons of course, nothing to do with the fact that he was seeing a certain boy with purple hair. That would be ridiculous. He hopped out the shower, and did his hair, making sure to do it a little nicer today. What? He just wanted to look good, nothing wrong with that.

Walking back into his bedroom, fully dressed in his jeans that made his legs look nice (because he wanted to!) he noticed his phone beeping, a new message appearing on screen.

**New text from: Minghao  
** _‘We need to talk. Call me when you see this.’_

Confusion set in and he felt a coil of anxiety make its way into his stomach. What did he mean by ‘we need to talk?’ was he mad? Mad that he was taking Junhui out? Mad for stepping in last night? Changed his mind and decided he was still mad about the bet? Shaking his head, he dialled the number, biting his nails, a nervous habit he had somehow picked up.

“Hello?” Minghao answered.

“Hello? Minghao? What did you wa-“

“Junhui likes you.”

Wonwoo was silent, but his eyes were bulging with surprise, left breathless by the sudden confession.

“What?” Wonwoo asked after a few moments of silence.

“Junhui likes you. As in more than a friend. As in he wants to get back together with you. Hear me out okay. Today at the park, I need you to ask him about it. He’s been telling me for a while, but I think he’s just scared. Scared of getting his heart broken again, scared of feeling like a fool again. All valid reasons if you ask me. But this has been eating him up inside for the past few weeks. He hasn’t been sleeping much, he hasn’t been eating a lot, it’s like this whole situation has taken my best friend hostage and left behind some sack of a human that doesn’t feel emotions. So, I need you to help him get it off his chest. That isn’t me saying I want you guys back together, that’s entirely his decision and I swear to God, if you pressure him in any way, I’ll make sure to use my 10 years of wushu training on your face, understand?” Minghao finally finished. He seemed to be breathing heavily, from talking too quickly to get his point across.

“Minghao, are you sure? I don’t think it’s a good idea. I don’t want to ruin the relationship we already have by asking him about it.” Wonwoo replied, going back to biting at his nails.

“Please, Wonwoo. The best thing for him to do would be to get it off his chest. Like I said, in no way is this me pushing you two to get back together, that’s his decision to make, but Junhui needs to get some sort of closure. I’m not sure if this is the best move for me as a friend, but I think it’ll help him.” Minghao finally finished.

“…Okay. I’ll do it.” Wonwoo finally said. He felt his heart race and his palms became sweaty, he had to put the phone down on his bed to make sure it didn’t slide out of his hand.

“Thank you, Wonwoo. I think this’ll be good for him. I hope. Ugh, my mind is everywhere today, just please, help him.” Minghao sighed, sounding desperate.

“I’ll try my best. Bye Minghao.” Wonwoo said, hanging up the phone. He ran his hands over his face and sighed. He considered sending medical bills to Junhui, it looked like he’d have a heart attack because of him one day.

 

~~~

The walk to the park was probably the longest walk of his life. His hands were shaking with anxiety, and he felt like he wanted to throw up. He had to do this right, he would never forgive himself if he screwed it up somehow.

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _‘Hey. I’m by that bench near the pond, I’ll see you when you get here’_

**New text from: Sunshine  
** _‘Hey!! Shouldn’t be too long, see you soon!’_

Wonwoo put his phone back in his pocket and drummed his fingers on his jeans. He breathed in and out. He could do this. What could go wrong?

A lot. A lot could go wrong. But he decided not to think about that right now.

“Wonwoo!” Jun called from across the park, waving enthusiastically. Wonwoo couldn’t stop the smile that crept up on his face as he waved back and motioned for Junhui to come sit with him.

“Hey Junnie, how are you? Feeling better?” Wonwoo asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Junhui hummed in confirmation. “Yep! I feel way better, thank you for what you did Wonu.”

“It was no problem.” Wonwoo replied, his anxiety creeping up on him again.

He let Junhui ramble on about whatever he wanted for a while, adding in short hums or nods when needed, his mind preoccupied with his anxious thoughts. Should he be doing this? Should he go through with it? Could this ruin the friendship they have right now? Maybe he shouldn’t do it. Tell Minghao he’s sorry, but he can’t. Surely he’d understand right? He had to, this wasn’t exactly an easy task. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Junhui shaking his leg and calling his name.

“Wonwoo?” Junhui asked, his eyebrows furrowed, “are you okay?”

“What? Yeah, no, I’m fine, completely fine.” Wonwoo answered, feeling short of breath.

“You seem worried about something. Is there something going on?”

He decided it was now or never. He prayed to whatever God or higher being out there that this wouldn’t ruin what they already had. He wouldn’t know what to do with himself if it did.

“Look, Junhui. Minghao told me something today.” He started.

Junhui cocked his head to the side in confusion. It reminded Wonwoo of a cat. He continued when Junhui didn’t say anything.

“Minghao…Minghao said you like me. Still like me. Now, I understand if this is all a little sudden, but he thought it’d be best if I ask you about it because you weren’t acting like yourself, and he thought maybe if I asked it would give you closure or something, I don’t know, but you don’t need to make a decision, hell, I don’t even know if it was true or not, oh god, it probably wasn’t, this was all a stunt that Minghao created, I’m so sorry, I’ve just ruined our friendship haven’t I, fuck, god junhui I’m so sorry I don’t know-“

“It’s true.” Junhui cut Wonwoo off from his rambling. His eyes were downcast, looking down at his hands, tears looking like they wanted to fall any minute now.

“What?” Wonwoo asked for the hundredth time today, sounding breathless.

“It’s true, Wonwoo. I still like you. Dammit, I never stopped. And I don’t know why. No offence, but what you did wasn’t exactly the nicest, but for christs sake. For some reason, I still like you. I still wanna hold your stupid hand, and go on stupid dates, and kiss your stupid, dumb face, and just date your stupid self.”

Wonwoo held Junhui’s hand, squeezing it as a sign of comfort.

‘I’m scared Wonwoo.” Junhui continued. “I’m really scared. I’ve never dated anyone before you, and you went and did that bet. I still wanna date you, Wonwoo. I do. But how do I know? How do I know I can trust you again?” Junhui asked, a tear slipping down his cheek. Wonwoo caught it with his thumb, caressing his face.

“Junhui. I can guarantee that doing that bet was one of the worst decisions I have ever made in my entire life. I wanna date you too, Junnie. But if you don’t trust me, I understand.”

They were silent, staring into each other’s eyes, still a thousand words left unsaid. But what else was there to say?

“What if we took it slow?” Junhui asked in a soft voice.

Wonwoo nodded, beckoning Junhui to elaborate further.

“I just really fucking miss you, Wonwoo. I don’t think I can go back to what we were. Not just yet. But I’m willing to take it slow if you are.” Junhui finished, looking back up into Wonwoo’s eyes.

“I miss you too, Junnie. I would love nothing more than to take it slow.”

Junhui smiled, and they hugged for what seemed like an eternity, but god did Wonwoo miss this. He’d hold on for another eternity if he had to. He’d hold on forever.

Junhui broke off the hug and brushed his jeans off.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.” He said.

“What kind of business?” Wonwoo asked.

“I have to go murder Hao. But thank him afterwards. It was nice to talk it all out.” Junhui replied.

“Yeah. Yeah it was, Junnie.”

Junhui smiled again, before pressing a soft kiss onto Wonwoos cheek.

“I’ll see you later. Text me!” He exclaimed before rushing off. Wonwoo couldn’t keep the smile off of his face.

Taking it slow. That, without a doubt, was definitely something he could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed the chapter!!
> 
> any feedback would be greatly appreciated, i'm always looking to improve!!!
> 
> thank you all for your patience with me and this fic xx


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!!  
> sorry for not updating in a whole month, i'm a shitty person i know :") school ended up getting way more stressful than i thought it would be, but at least i'm passing!  
> as always, thanks for all your patience with me! i'll get better hopefully!!

Wonwoo was finally in a good mood that lasted for longer than a few hours. He felt as if the world was finally giving him a second chance. Throwing him a bone for all the good deeds he’s done. Or maybe the universe finally got tired of seeing him moping around all day, feeling sorry for himself. Either way, he was grateful. Taking it slow was perfect for Wonwoo. He could finally hold Jun’s hand, and take him on cute dates like he used to before he fucked up. He vowed to himself to never ever do that again. He couldn’t lose someone as precious as Junhui. Not again.

He spent the whole day doing the stuff he should’ve done while he was dissociating from the world with heartbreak, like his homework. Which he was incredibly behind on. He groaned, throwing his books on the couch. He’d do it later, when he was fully awake and functional, he told himself. He knew it wasn’t going to happen, but hey, it was good to be positive, right? Why focus on the bad when so much good was happening?

 Mingyu walked into the living room, a small smile on his face as he walked into the kitchen to make himself some breakfast.

“What’s got you in such a good mood this morning?” he questioned.

“Nothing.” Mingyu responded, looking down, a small blush forming on his face.

“No, somethings up, I know you Mingyu, what happened?” Wonwoo pressed further, a sly smile on his face.

“Okay fine. Minghao and I are going for ice-cream today and I’m excited about it okay? I miss him.” Mingyu mumbled, pouring his milk onto his cereal, the redness on his cheeks now prominent.

“You just saw him, like, two days ago though. That’s so cute, you miss him already!” Wonwoo teased, messing up his friends hair.

“Oi, leave me alone, go back to smiling at the selfies Jun sent you.” Mingyu teased back, shoving Wonwoo lightly.

“That reminds me, I wanted to thank you…Again. For dealing with all my bullshit. It was unfair of me to put all of that on you when you had your own stuff to deal with, yet you still comforted me through it all. You really didn’t have to do that, yet you did anyway. Thank you, Mingyu. Really, I appreciate it a whole bunch.” Wonwoo rambled, hoping he could convey just how much it had meant to him.

“Hey, that’s what I’m here for dude. I’ll always be here.” Mingyu said.

They shared a quick hug before Mingyu was off for his date, leaving Wonwoo to glare at his books, hoping he could somehow get them to disappear with his mind. Unfortunately for him, it seems to only work in the shitty sci-fi movies he watches, so he got stuck into it.

It didn’t last long though. When his phone dinged, he immediately raced to it, thankful for the distraction. A good one at that, considering Junhui was the one to message him.

**New text from: Sunshine  
** _‘Hey Wonu!! Can I come over? Minghao just left to go on a date with Mingyu, and I don’t feel like being alone all day lol x’_

He smiled, thumbs dancing over the keypad of his phone, typing out a good reply.

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _‘Hey Junnie. Of course you can come over, I need a distraction from my homework anyway, a cute one like you would be nice’_

**New text from: Sunshine  
** _‘Oh you’re such a flirt :”) Maybe I could help you with your homework, after all, I was your tutor at first, remember? I’ll be over in about 10 minutes!’_

**New text to: Sunshine  
** _‘Lets not bring that up, bad times, bad times. See you soon x’_

He figured he should probably make himself look more presentable. He was currently sporting the worst bed hair and he was still in is pyjamas. He ran a comb through his hair and put on some actual clothes, weirdly excited for just a quick catch up with the boy.

He heard a knock at the door, and practically ran to it like an overexcited dog that hadn’t seen his owner in a good couple of days. He told himself to get a grip before opening the door, smiling at the boy on the other side of the door.

“Hey Wonu!” He chirped, walking into the apartment, not before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Hey Junnie.” Wonwoo replied, cradling the cheek that was kissed, a crimson hue to his cheeks.

“Dang dude, why so much homework? You’re usually really good at keeping up with all of it.” Jun asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Well, I guess I procrastinated too much? It doesn’t matter, I’ll get it done.” Wonwoo waved a hand in the general direction of the textbooks, a dismissive look on his face.

“You shouldn’t have let me come over when you have this much to catch up on! Maybe I should just go for a walk instead, let you have some peace and quiet to concentrate.”

“Oh, please don’t leave, I won’t do anything without someone here to motivate me.” Wonwoo pleaded. Jun just laughed at him.

“Okay, okay, I’ll stay. You better do some work though, I don’t wanna hold you back.”

“You could never hold me back.” Wonwoo said, sitting on the couch, patting the spot next to him, motioning Jun to sit down and help him.

~~~

Turns out that statement was false. Shocker. He did get some of his history done with the help of Junhui motivating him, but other than that, he barely got anything done. He was way more interested in Jun’s story of the dog he petted on the way to his house. It was a husky named Daisy and according to Junhui, it was the cutest thing in existence. He didn’t think to question it. They didn’t realize how much time had passed when his phone dinged in his pocket, with Mingyu telling them he was staying over due to the heavy rain outside they seemed to block out.

“Damn, walking in this is gonna be a pain, I didn’t even bring an umbrella! God, I’m an idiot.” Junhui said to himself, smacking his head with his hand.

Wonwoo didn’t even realize what he had said before the words were out of his mouth.

“Well, you could stay here overnight? Mingyu’s staying at your place with Minghao, you could stay here if you want?”

Junhui looked up at him, a blush forming on his face.

“Well, I mean, it was just a suggestion obviously, I didn’t mean you needed to stay here, that was ridiculous of me wasn’t it, even after you said you wanted to take it slow, that was dumb, I can lend you my umbrella if you want, I mean, unless you want to stay here which would be great, amazing actually, not that theres anything wrong if you wanted to go home of course! Nothing wrong at all, it’s completely your decision, entirely up to you, I’ll just-“

“Wonwoo!” Jun interrupted.

“Yes?” Wonwoo asked in a small voice.

“I would love to stay overnight. That sounds like fun.” Junhui giggled, shaking his head at how worked up Wonwoo got.

“Oh, great.” Wonwoo sighed, a small smile on his face.

~~~

They ended up ordering some food in so they didn’t have to cook anything, and put on a movie. Junhui’s head was resting on Wonwoo’s shoulder, Wonwoo’s fingers carded through his hair, making the older boy drowsy, which Wonwoo thought was adorable.

“Tired, sunshine?” Wonwoo asked.

“Yeah, kinda.” Junhui mumbled, lifting his head from his shoulder, rubbing at his eyes.

“C’mon, lets get you to bed, love.” Wonwoo whispered, turning off the tv and helping the tired boy up into his bed.

“Wonwoo?” Junhui muttered into the darkness, reaching his hand out to find the youngers.

“Yes?” Wonwoo whispered back.

“I think I might be ready again. I know it didn’t take long, but I think you just know these things. I’m ready for a relationship if you are.”

Wonwoo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was on the verge of crying, trying to wrap his head around it. Junhui wanted to be in a relationship. An official one. He held the boy in his arms and kissed his forehead, whispering a small ‘yes’ into his hair.

They fell asleep like that, cuddled up against each other, limbs intertwined, warmth encompassing them. Nothing could disturb them. If Wonwoo was happy before, it was nothing compared to how happy he is now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed the chapter!  
> so this story may be coming to an end very soon! maybe 1-2 chapters left, we'll see
> 
> thanks for all your support and patience x


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!!!! 
> 
> sorry this took so long, but it's finally finished!!! i hope you all enjoy this final installment!!! x

They woke up encompassed in each other. Sunlight shone through the window, enveloping the room in a soft, warm glow. Small kisses and sweet words were exchanged between the two, before they finally trailed out of bed and into the kitchen.

They attempted at making breakfast together, like some domestic couple that’d been together for ages, giggling at the mess they were making. Surprisingly, it turned out alright though, and they ate together by the TV, legs intertwined.

The sound of the front door being opened was heard, and Mingyu accompanied by Minghao stepped into the living room.

“See! Told you they’d be cuddling when we got home.” Minghao boasted.

“Can you guys go do that in Wonwoo’s room or something, jeez.” Mingyu teased, ruffling Wonwoo’s hair, which made Junhui giggle.

“This is my living room too y’know, I can cuddle with my boyfriend if I choose to, thank you very much.” Wonwoo shot back.

“Wait, boyfriend?” Minghao questioned. Junhui and Wonwoo shared a small smile before nodding at the male in front of them.

“Thank God. I had enough of you two moping over each other.” Minghao said, rolling his eyes.

“I wasn’t that bad!” Junhui defended, crossing his arms and pouting.

“Yes, you were. You were that bad. Anyway, Wonwoo, you’re getting this talk again. I swear to Christ if you hurt Junhui again I will not hesitate to use my twelve years of wushu on your face, understand?”

“Yes, I understand.” Wonwoo stuttered out, suddenly way more nervous about having Minghao over.

“Minghao, stop scaring him.” Junhui chided.

“I’m not! Just a little reminder, that’s all,” Minghao smirked. “Anyway, Mingyu just came to get a change of clothes so we can go out, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone for now.”

“Have fun! Be safe!” Junhui called to them, waiting until the door was shut to snuggle up to Wonwoo once again.

“Hey, Junnie?” Wonwoo asked.

“Yes Wonu?”

“What Hao said really made me think. And I just wanted to know, are you really ready to start a relationship? I completely fucked up the first time, and I just wanted to make sure you were one-hundred percent down.”

Junhui looked at him before kissing him softly.

“I have never been surer about anything in my life, Wonwoo. I know you fucked up, and I don’t doubt you will in the future. And I’m sure I will, too. But trust me when I say, I want to be with you. I wouldn’t be cuddling you right now if I didn’t!”

“Just making sure. You know I love you right?” Wonwoo asked.

Junhui placed a small kiss on his nose.

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's a wrap!!!  
> thank you all for being so supportive of this and for being so patient despite my messed up updating schedule. this was really fun to write, and i hope you all had fun reading it!!!   
> sorry this last chapter was so short, i had no idea how to end it, but i hope this is okay! please do let me know if there are any errors x  
> as always, any constructive criticism or advice is greatly appreciated!!  
> thank you all once again! x

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Again, let me know if i should even bother continuing this, or if i should just delete it x
> 
> Also, i got the title for this from the song "The other side of paradise" by Glass animals (the song has no correlation to the story though)


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